Specialist Fire and Emergency Services / Fire Safety Consultants

Fire Risk Assessments

By combining decades of experience, knowledge and training, ICR Solutions will conduct a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment of your business’ operation. By identifying areas of risk and possible non-compliance (in regards to legislation), clients can take pro active preventative measures to minimise the probability of fires occurring and/or the spread of fire. It should be remembered that contravention of legislation constitutes legal grounds for insurers to dispute payments in the event of fire and/or associated damage.

Independent Fire Systems Auditing

Assessment of existing fire safety and prevention systems ICR Solutions will assess and review a client’s existing fire safety and prevention systems to ensure legislative compliance and provide advice on any changes or additions required to maintain optimal preparation in this regard.

Safety Risk Assessments

As required in the development of project Occupational Health and Safety systems, ICR Solutions will conduct risk assessments on behalf of the client prior to commencement of projects to compile a Safety Specification as is required by the Construction Regulations.

It is also necessary for the client to conduct risk assessments at different intervals of a development, as working conditions and circumstances constantly change as the project progresses.

In addition the client is required to undertake regular audits to ensure contractor compliance with the provided safety specifications. ICR Solutions is able to undertake these intermittent assessments on behalf of the client, thereby ensuring ongoing compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

By using the latest technology available ICR Solutions are able to identify potential heat caused hazards, mechanical overheat points and potential mechanical breakdown points that result from abnormal heat stress. This system is largely beneficial in determining probable origins and sources for fires.

Review of existing Fire Detection/Suppression Systems

Early warning Fire Detection and Fire Suppression Systems (FDFS), allows for fires to be detected and contained within the shortest possible time. These systems ensure that the possibility of business continuity is greatly increased, by minimising the probability of extensive fire and related damages.

ICR Solutions will review your businesses existing fire detection and suppression capabilities and provide expert advice on recommended changes, additions or alterations. It should be remembered that technology continuously progresses and therefore systems can easily become redundant or out dated. While these FDFS systems can often cost considerable sums of money, in an operation that relies on production output, these costs are often marginal in comparison to the possible losses experienced by a large scale incident.

For businesses that do not have an existing FDFS system, ICR Solutions, through the use of an accredited service provider, will design a comprehensive detection and suppression system allowing for optimal detection and containment of fires.

Evaluation of Building Fire Plans

A pre-submission evaluation of completed building fire plans to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and Fire Department requirements.

This option allows for a list of referrals on completed fire plans to be provided to the architect/ developer, but no remedial action will be taken.

Completion of Building Plan Fire Plans

Pre-submission completion of supplied lay-out, section, elevation and site plans, with regards to fire and life safety requirements. This process ensures timeous processing of building plans through local authorities and decreases the probability of lengthy referrals.

In addition to this, ICR Solutions will also conduct pre-submission meetings with the relevant Fire Prevention office to ensure compliance with Local Authority’s requirements.

Walkthrough of Fire Plans

Post Submission meeting with relevant Local Authority Fire Prevention office to ensure satisfaction with plans and amendment to fire plans to ensure compliance with any fire protection related referrals.

Remedial action for referred fire plans

Post submission and referral completion of fire plans, not previously evaluated or completed by ICR Solutions to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and Fire Department requirements

On-site inspections: construction phase

Inspections on site during the construction phase to ensure that all fire protection equipment is placed as per the approved fire plans and meets the requirements of the National Building Regulations and the Fire Department.

The number of inspections required will be determined by the size and complexity of the site, as well as the standard of work undertaken on site and compliance with the approved fire plans.

On-site inspection: Pre Occupation

A post construction inspection undertaken by ICR Solutions to ensure full compliance with the approved plans, National Building Regulations and the Fire Department’s Requirements, prior to final occupation inspection been undertaken.

Development of Emergency Action Plans

With the use of International Best Practice Standards, and by developing, implementing and updating Emergency Action Plans (EAP’s), clients can manage incidences and emergencies efficiently, thus reducing the potential for loss of life or damage to property.

ICR Solutions has an unsurpassed amount of experience in the development and implementation of Emergency Action Plans. During the Development and Implementation phases ICR Solutions works closely with the client to ensure that all production and security issues are addressed in the Emergency Action Plans, and that projected Business Interruption is kept to a minimum.

Disaster Management Plan (Review and Development)

By applying years of experience, training and skill, ICR Solutions will research, design and implement disaster management frameworks for any large scale ventures and/or operations. Disaster management plays an integral role in minimising the extent and effects of large scale incidences experienced by businesses or projects. Further to this, we will also set about establishing an effective recovery plan, thereby allowing for faster resumption of operations.

Should a client already have an existing disaster management plan in place, ICR Solutions will review this system to ascertain the efficiency and suitability of the system. There are also several legislative requirements that need to be addressed during this process.

Developing/monitoring of Incident Management Plans

Incident Management Plans (IMP’s), make up a crucial part of any operation’s safety system. By evaluating several different contributing factors, these IMP’s allow for the safe and co-ordinated handling of emergencies in the work place. Plans are uniquely designed for each particular project, ensuring that the most appropriate practices are applied.

Assessment of Emergency Evacuation and Emergency Action Plans

EAP’s identify the routes to follow in the event of an incident happening on your premises. ICR Solutions will visit your business premises, identify evacuation routes, emergency assembly points and provide you with a comprehensive site plan and route map.

EAP’s should not only include Emergency Evacuation Plans, but also make provision for:
• Comprehensive Emergency Contact Lists – broken down into various emergencies
• Identification of Staff Positions to undertake the necessary duties involved in handling any incident on your site
• Provision of on-site training for all staff in the understanding and use of the Emergency Action plan
• Establishing of standing agreements with external service providers (ambulance services etc)
• Meeting and briefing with local authority service providers (police, fire services, water department etc)
In addition to this, ICR solutions is in the position to arrange necessary training which is required to ensure that all staff appointed to positions of responsibility in the EAP, are able to fulfil their responsibilities efficiently and confidently, thereby ensuring that any incident requiring the activation of the Emergency Action Plan is resolved in the best possible manner.

Testing of Emergency Action Plans

While the compilation of an Emergency Action Plan is vital, without proper implementation, training and testing such plan will not serve the purpose for which it is intended. In addition to a company’s responsibilities towards its staff, a number of Municipalities require proof of annual testing of premises Emergency Action Plans. ICR Solutions is able to project manage and evaluate Evacuation Drills undertaken to not only meet this requirement but also to provide feedback with regards to the effectiveness of the plan, staff training and staff response.

Emergency Planning and Evacuation Consulting

In business today you cannot afford to be unprepared. Whether you manage a large business on you own premises or share premises with other companies it is important to know what to do, who to contact and where to go should there be an emergency at your place of business.

ICR Solutions offer two different packages for emergencies. The base line package is an Emergency Evacuation Plan. This is a standard plan of the routes to follow should an incident happen in your building. ICR Solutions staff will visit your site, identify evacuation routes, emergency assembly points and provide you with a comprehensive site plan and route map.

The second package is the Emergency Action Plan package. With this solution you will not only get all the benefits of an Emergency Evacuation Plan, but ICR Solutions will also undertake the following:

• Comprehensive Emergency Contact Lists – broken down into various emergencies
• Identify Staff Positions to undertake the necessary duties involved in handling any incident on your site
• Provide on-site training to your staff in the understanding and use of the Emergency Action plan.
In addition to this, ICR solutions is in the position to arrange necessary training which is required to ensure that all staff appointed to positions of responsibility in the EAP, are able to fulfil their responsibilities efficiently and confidently thereby ensuring that any incident requiring the activation of the Emergency Action Plan is resolved in the best possible manner.

Call Centre Solutions

ICR Call Centre Solutions strives to ensure that Security, Emergency or Disaster Call Centre Staff are equipped to deal with the broad spectrum of calls that they are exposed to.

Call centre staff are no longer just exposed to incidents within their own scope of training, and as a result Security Staff are often exposed to requests for medical or emergency services; while Medical Call Centre Staff are exposed to safety and security requests.

Furthermore Disaster Management Call Centre Staff are exposed to all imaginable calls as the public do not fully understand the function of these call centers.

ICR Solutions offer a number of solutions which can be used either as standalone packages or as a complete call centre solution.

Compilation of Incident Action Plan Guidebooks

Incident Action Plan Guidebooks are the first step towards running an effective call centre. Whether you require an electronic or a hard copy IAPG, ICR Solutions are able to meet your requirements.

The IAPG is an easy to follow, step-by-step guide to dealing with various incidences. This Guidebook includes Call Taking Questions, Response Actions, including hand-over details, follow-up actions and a complete resource directory of Localised Emergency Contact Details.

Staff need to be professional, courteous and competent when receiving calls, irrespective of whether the call follows their line function training, or if it is a different type of incident request. A confident operator will calm the caller down and ensure the correct details are obtained, allowing for a speedy response to any incident.

The handover of an incident from the receiving call centre or agency to supporting services can be the weak link in a “response chain”. Providing correct and concise details pertaining to an incident is vital to ensure the correct response to an incident.

Standard and effective Radio and Telephone protocols are imperative in ensuring that staff remain calm and are able to convey the necessary information in a manner that is easily interpreted.

ICR Solutions will train staff in call taking, radio/telephone use and protocols and the use of the relevant IAPG for your organisation.

Emergency Call Taking and Incident Reporting

ICR Solutions are able to provide Emergency Call Taking Training which focuses on Medical, Crime and other Life threatening incident call taking.

The training includes the correct manner of handling these types of incidents from call receipt to incident closure or handover. Included in this training is an introduction to the “response chain” methodology for the evaluation of calls with regards to the nature of the incident, location and the level of assistance required.

Supply/Review of Incident Call Taking and Response Records

ICR Solutions are able to review completed response record documents on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis which facilitates for the provision statistical information, call type analysis, incident area analysis, and response action analysis.

Incident Debriefing

ICR Solutions offers Incident Debriefing Services, in which all relevant service providers that attended an incident can meet in a neutral environment under the guidance of an independent facilitator to analyse an incident, evaluate service provider response and coordinate suggestions and recommendations of the role players to improve future response and inter service cooperation.

The importance of incidents that had occurred previously and the lessons learnt with regards to decisions and actions that were taken is vital to ensure continued professional development which ensures an improved response to similar future incidences, but also increases the synergy and improves the working relations between various service providers.

Should it be necessary, and identified in an incident debriefing or by a line supervisor, ICR Solutions can assist with Post Traumatic Stress Counselling. All of our counsellors are past operational members of the emergency services, thereby allowing for a better understanding of the difficulties faced.

The debriefing process is currently extensively utilised within governmental structures worldwide, however private industry has not yet began to appreciate the value of this system. Private security contractors, emergency service providers and companies whose staff have been involved in traumatic events can benefit extensively from this process.

ICR Solutions offers a comprehensive Incident Management Service which is aimed at minimising the loss of life, property and production time due to Emergency Incidents.

ICR Solutions Incident Managers will, in the case of an emergency assist in managing and/or directing the internal response mechanisms of the company within the corporate guidelines, as set up in the Emergency Action and Disaster Management Plans.

ICR Incident Managers will, act as an intermediary between the company management and all external service providers required on site to resolve the incident

With a wealth of experience ranging from Emergency Medical Response and Fire and Rescue Operations through to Hazardous Materials Cleanup and incident rehabilitation, ICR Solutions is able to offer practical solutions that ensure the client’s best interests, while not alienating responding agencies, by creating expectations that are beyond their capabilities.

With years of experience combined with the knowledge of current legislation and international best practice standards ICR Solutions is well placed to undertake evaluations of geographical locations, be it on a local or wide-spread scale, to determine the needs of an area for the provision of a fire service.

This needs analysis can be based on areas that have no current fire service to assess the levels of service requirements as well as implementation viability or assessing existing service delivery levels in terms of current standards and objectives.

In Municipal Spheres today a number of contracted external Service Providers are operating Fire and Emergency Services, Life Guarding Services, Security Services and Emergency Call Centre Operations.

Due to the specialised nature of these services and the technical knowledge required to evaluate these types of services, service providers are in many instances not performing as efficient and effectively as required, or meeting their set key performance indicators (KPIs) and contractual obligations.

Within Municipalities the general trend is to have a line supervisor / manager appointed as contract manager to ensure compliance. There are a number of issues with this practice, amongst them is a lack of knowledge as to the finer operational details or a misinterpretation of the contractual requirements, or alternatively the contract manager becomes too closely involved with the service provider or service providers staff.

There are a number of solutions, the first being is to hire a specialised, dedicated contracts manager who would be required to have experience and knowledge in all fields that the Municipality contract service providers for.

The second is to appoint an independent external auditor to evaluate the services, either on a once-off basis or on an on-going basis, and provide reports to the relevant authority, outlining all findings and any deviations to the contractual obligations.

ICR Solutions is a young and dynamic company which was established after having identified an increasing demand for professional, independent specialist fire and safety auditors.

By using the latest methods, assessments and technologies available, ICR Solutions can confidently provide a professional consulting and auditing service to Municipalities making use of external Service Providers such as Fire and Emergency Services, Life Guarding Services, Security Services and Emergency Call Centre Operations.

In today’s entertainment environment the procedure of using nonpurpose built venues or temporary venues to host entertainment events is becoming more commonplace. From exhibition halls, sugar terminals and community halls to purpose built open-air fan parks, concerts and tented venues, from public parks and sport fields to a long distance running or cycle race, events attract crowds both in the form of spectators and participants.

The onus is placed on the event management or production company to provide a safe and secure environment as far as is reasonably practical. The security at these events is generally handled by professional security companies who are expected to undertake safety functions in addition to their security tasks.

With the ever present threat of liability for mishaps at an event the need for specialised emergency and safety management is becoming
more apparent, especially when you consider the various safety requirements for each type of event that can be hosted.

Compilation of an Event Safety Plan

An event safety plan is a made up of a number of parts, with the emergency / disaster response plan been only one component of the plan.

The plan also includes pre- and post- event requirements from the various authorities, licensing and legislative requirements and safety management plan.

ICR Solutions, with its wealth of experience is able to compile an Event Safety Plan tailor made to your event and assist in obtaining approval for the plan and its components with all necessary stakeholders.

Event Safety Management

Event safety management is a multi-disciplinary function and should include the ongoing assessment of an event environment to ensure the safety of event patrons and staff.

Working together with the security manager and event manager / coordinator the Safety Manager is responsible for ensuring set-up safety, compliance with the Event Safety Plan, and break-down safety following an event.

ICR Solutions Safety Managers are cross-trained in various Emergency Fields and as such have an unique understanding of the requirements and functions of a Safety Manager and will undertake such functions in a manner that will not compromise patron safety or event profitability.

In today’s security conscious world secure housing estates are becoming a regular fixture in most communities. These secure estates are often neglected by fire prevention services in regards to annual compliance inspections for both fixed installations and to ensure the compliance of various complexes and units within such estates.

ICR Solutions is able to undertake inspections of the estate, and any such sub-complexes and units, to ensure compliance with legislative requirements with regards to common areas and fire protection equipment.

In terms of legislation Emergency Escape Routes must be lit to adequate levels at all times in which buildings are occupied. This includes normal lighting supplied of the normal main supply and lighting in case of main supply power failure.

ICR Solutions is able to undertake evaluations of the lighting levels in Emergency Routes, both under normal conditions and alternative power supply conditions, provide an audit report of the findings and where necessary suggest corrective actions.

It is clear from our experience that the number of Fire Safety and Fire Prevention Officers employed by Local Government, today are totally inadequate and in many cases lack the required capacity and experience. With many Towns and Local Authorities in the Country not having any Specialised Fire Safety Officers. This is a clear threat to community safety, life and property.
ICR Solutions offer resources, expertise and experience that can assist Local Government overcome the challenges facing them in respect to Fire Safety and Fire Prevention.
Fire Safety enterprises in South Africa that service fire equipment pursuant to the requirements of the OHS Act, are controlled by Local Government bylaws, and in many cases they are not monitored or regulated and are left as self-regulatory and, as such, is not enforced by the controlling authority (the Local Fire Department)
Local Government has a constitutional obligation to ensure that fire safety is regulated and manged in line with “Community Fire Protection” and the Constitutional obligations of Government.
ICR Solutions offer Fire Safety and Prevention Services to meet the needs of the Fire Protection industry, and Local Government Fire Safety obligations.
ICR Solutions Fire Safety / Fire Prevention Services offer:

• A fully comprehensive and tailor-made Fire Safety / Fire Prevention Service to meet your needs of the local area and community
• Fire Safety Operations, this includes total Fire Prevention and Safety for Local Government.
• Fire Safety Administration
• Fire Safety By Laws including Implementation and Enforcement
• Fire Safety Inspections
• Fire Safety Regulations and Control
• Fire Safety Registrations
• Fire Safety Data base